Path To Sunday

Readings for Sunday: Zephanaiah, 1 Corinthians, Matthew

In our modern world, the question of who we follow matters a great deal. For those under thirty, that question often points to influencers on Instagram or TikTok—people with millions of followers who seem to have perfected life. For those less familiar with social media, an influencer is someone who is famous largely for being famous, shaping desires and lifestyles for profit. Think of Kim Kardashian with hundreds of millions of followers, or George Clooney selling Nespresso on television. The underlying message is the same: “If you want to be happy, be like me.” Look this way, buy these things, live this lifestyle—and happiness will follow.

But that message is not true. Influencers sell an image, carefully curated and often edited. Photos are filtered, flaws erased, and even Clooney has a makeup artist. These are commercials. In stark contrast, the Church holds up Jesus Christ—not photoshopped perfection, but a bloody cross. If we truly want happiness, we are invited not to follow influencers, but to follow Christ.

This leads us to a deeper question: what is happiness? The Declaration of Independence speaks of the “pursuit of happiness,” something to be chased or obtained. The word itself comes from the Old English “hap,” meaning chance or luck. Too often, happiness is tied to circumstances—winning the lottery, falling in love, or life simply going our way. And as quickly as it comes, it can disappear.

The Gospel offers us a richer word: blessedness. In the Beatitudes, Jesus uses the Greek word makarios, often translated as “blessed.” This is not luck or happenstance, but a deep, abiding state of peace, joy, and contentment rooted in God. To be blessed means that God is actively at work in us, and that we are choosing to live in relationship with Him. It is the kind of happiness that lasts.

God created us for Himself, and like a beautiful painting meant to be admired, we only flourish when we live according to our purpose. We long for meaning, love, and fulfillment—but finite things cannot satisfy infinite desires. Only God can. That is why Jesus gives us the Beatitudes, a counter-cultural recipe for true happiness. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” He says—those detached from possessions, status, and even reputation, who cling instead to God.

Money, fame, and power cannot buy what we seek most. True happiness—true blessedness—is a gift from our Creator, given to us in and through Jesus Christ.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, 1 Corinthians, Matthew

Ever wonder why we Catholics are so into candles? There are many reasons, but at the heart of it is this: we believe that because of Jesus, there is light in the darkness.

Scripture often speaks honestly about darkness. In the first reading from Isaiah, written in the eighth century before Christ, the people of Israel were living through a terrible time. The Assyrian Empire had invaded the northern kingdom around 722 BC. The people were oppressed, many were carried off into exile, and pagan foreigners were brought into the land. The region of Zebulun and Naphtali became a mixed people with a mixed religion, later known as Samaritans, and they were looked down upon by Jews in the south. Isaiah even calls this area the “District of the Gentiles” and speaks of the “rod of the taskmaster.” Yet in the midst of that darkness, the prophet foretold that one day a great light would shine.

That message matters for us today. We look around our world and see violence in the Middle East, war in Ukraine, violence here in Chicagoland, corruption in politics, and deep wounds in families and culture.

At the root, we have a sin problem. Still, Isaiah’s words remind us: there is light in the darkness, and that light is Jesus.In the Gospel, Matthew tells us that Jesus went to live in Galilee, in the land of Zebulun and Naphtali, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy. God himself came to us. Jesus, God incarnate, entered a sinful and violent world without sin, laid down his life on the cross, and rose from the dead like the rising sun. He offers us everlasting life and shows us how to live a truly human life in holiness and justice. That is why Jesus begins by preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and then calls disciples. To follow Jesus is a journey of transformation, like dedicating oneself fully to a sport. Baptism is the beginning, but discipleship requires practice, commitment, and perseverance. Brothers and sisters, we are all called to be disciples and ultimately saints. In baptism we receive the light of Christ, symbolized by a candle, and we are called to shine that light brightly in a dark world.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, 1 Corinthians, John

We then have the opportunity to go to out to the world and proclaim Jesus like John the Baptist. In fact, that is how we began to call the Eucharistic celebration, “the Mass.” It is from the dismissal, “Ite, missa est,” which in Latin means, “Go, it is the dismissal.” Effectively, we have encountered the Lord in the Liturgy of the Word and the Liturgy of the Eucharist, and now we are dismissed to proclaim him to the world. John the Baptist’s words and attitude should be ours, that we want to make Jesus known, and to “testif[y] that he is the Son of God.”

Readings for Sunday

Second, justification. Jesus was baptized not because He needed cleansing, but because He came to make us right with God. As both fully God and fully human, He acts on behalf of both. Scripture teaches that we are justified not by our own goodness, but by God’s grace. Jesus enters the waters to sanctify them, preparing the way for our rebirth through baptism. He takes on our sins so that we may share in His everlasting life.

By His grace, we are called not only to receive salvation, but to live it—to reject godless ways and live justly and faithfully. Jesus lived the truly human life so that we, through Him, might become children of God.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, Ephesians, Matthew

They were searching for meaning and for Truth itself. And isn’t that still true of us today? Whether in politics, philosophy, or personal struggle, we are all asking the same questions: What is real? What is good? What gives life meaning?  From Socrates to Plato to modern debates, humanity has always been on this quest. The magi eventually find what they are seeking. What they find is not an idea, but a person: Jesus Christ. They offer gold for a king, incense for God, and myrrh for one who would die. In Him, the Truth became flesh. Jesus is not merely a teacher of truth; He is Truth itself. As He says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This is why the story of the magi is so beautiful. It is our story. The search for meaning, fulfilled in Christ. At Epiphany, God reveals Himself not only to Israel, but to the whole world. We, too, have found the Truth. His name is Jesus.

Readings for Sunday: Sirach, Colossians, Matthew

Though He did not need a human father, God chose that Jesus would grow up with both a mother and a father, experiencing family life as we do.

In His humanity, Jesus shows us the way to live. He experiences obedience, love, and growth within a home. Marriage, as the Church teaches, is ordered toward the unity of husband and wife and the good of children. While acknowledging the brokenness of the world—divorce, single parenthood, and suffering—the norm remains: a loving, faithful home where children can grow securely.

The Holy Family was not free from hardship, but Joseph and Mary remained committed to each other and to Jesus. In their fidelity, sacrifice, and love, they reveal God’s plan for family life and remind us that even what seems ordinary—or insignificant—can become the place where God’s grace is most powerfully at work.

Readings: Isaiah, Romans, Matthew

Even before understanding God’s plan fully, Joseph acted with mercy. When an angel later revealed that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit, Joseph immediately obeyed and took her into his home. No words are recorded, only faithful action.

Joseph’s courage is also evident. He accepted Mary despite rumors and raised Jesus as his own son, giving him a place in the royal line of David. Later, warned in a dream, Joseph fled with Mary and Jesus to Egypt, leaving home and livelihood behind to protect his family. Again, without hesitation or argument, he did God’s will.
Finally, Joseph was a foster father and a worker. As a carpenter, he taught Jesus his trade, shaping Christ’s human life through years of quiet labor. For this reason, Joseph is rightly honored as the Patron Saint of Workers. His silent faith, courageous obedience, and steadfast love remind us that holiness is often lived quietly. Like Joseph, sometimes the most powerful witness is shown not by what we say, but by what we do.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, James, Matthew

Sometimes, like John, we question because God does not act according to our expectations. Suffering, loss, and unanswered prayers can shake us. But Jesus invites us to trust Him—not because He always gives us what we want, but because He gives what we need for salvation. Earthly healing is temporary, but the Gospel offers eternal life.

As we continue through Advent, we are called to adjust our expectations—not asking God to meet our plan, but trusting His. One day we will meet Jesus face-to-face. Everything He allows in our lives prepares us for that moment.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, Romans, Matthew

Imagine arriving at a party, only to see a huge tree about to collapse onto the house and kill everyone inside. You run in to warn them, but everyone is too drunk to care. Who is truly thinking clearly; you or the partygoers? That is the prophets’ situation. They appear shocking only because our perspective has been dulled by sin.

Many who abandon Christianity don’t do so because doctrine failed them, but because their lifestyles clashed with the faith. As Chesterton wrote, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting. It has been found difficult; and left untried.” John the Baptist tries to wake us from our stupor. To repent means to think differently—to see the danger clearly and then act accordingly. Even believers can fall into living like everyone else, rationalizing sin because “everyone does it.” John’s words still shock because they confront our comfort and expose our self-deception. And Advent calls us to awaken.

Readings for Sunday: Isaiah, Romans, Matthew

Advent, therefore, is a season of preparation not just for December 25, but for the moment Jesus returns in glory. Jesus warns us that many will be unprepared, living ordinary lives with no thought for eternity. St. Paul urges us to “throw off the works of darkness” and “put on the armor of light.” Advent calls us to repentance, virtue, and intentional readiness.
This season, we should choose one area in which to grow (patience, prayer, righteousness) offering it as a birthday gift to Christ. Then, should He knock on our door on Christmas morning, we will joyfully say, “I was hoping you would come. Maranatha; come, Lord Jesus.”